Booking from UK

[Buzz Lightbeer]

Hello

Planning our 5th trip which will also be our honeymoon for November 2012 and have always booked through virgin holidays as a package, I was wondering where other UK Disney goers book from? Trying to save a bit off cash as I'm sure we all are

Thanks

 

[eddiemcgarrigle]

I used to always travel via First Choice and always went for the premium seating. I've always found it comfy with plenty of choice for movies. This year, I booked directly with WDW at a rather large saving and am flying with Virgin on the new A330 out of Glasgow.

The cost of premium with Virgin was eye-watering so I've plumped for economy but the silver lining is flying into McCoy and letting my son experience the Magic Express. Time will tell whether or not I return to First Choice.

 

[patricia27]

Virgin

We`ve always flown Virgin. If you pick another company you could well find yourself flying in to Sanford!! Then you will have a longer drive to WDW!! When have done a certain amount of flights with Virgin you can join the "Frequent Virgin Club" which gives you offers!! If you tell them it is a special occasion they may give you a bottle of Champagne!!

 

[patricia27]

Uk

It`s good to chat with others from the UK about flights etc!!

 

[Le Twins Day]

we used Aer Lingus out of Birmingham via Dublin last year and as already mentioned they were excellent (we had our 4 year old twins) and everyhting was good, if there is a down side its the wait in Dublin on return connection and they only operate 3 days a week but we saved well over £1500 compared to Virgin. we also booked direct with WDW on their webiste

 

[Crush Dude!]

It`s good to chat with others from the UK about flights etc!!

Feel free anytime :wave:

 

[Crush Dude!]

we used Aer Lingus out of Birmingham via Dublin last year and as already mentioned they were excellent (we had our 4 year old twins) and everyhting was good, if there is a down side its the wait in Dublin on return connection and they only operate 3 days a week but we saved well over £1500 compared to Virgin. we also booked direct with WDW on their webiste

Cant beat it! Direct booking with wdw uk plus aer lingus flight!!! The flight zooms by having your own personal tv :sohappy:

 

[disney magic 06]

Just a quick word to fellow Virgin passengers. We have our flights and seats booked for May 2012, when I checked on the seat map on the website to see if the flight was filling up, they had moved our seats both ways, blocked off the ones we had booked and on the return flight we weren't even sitting together! I have changed it now so we are together at least but we are not very impressed as we wanted to sit at the back, we are in the middle now.

It may be worth having a quick look at your bookings folks!

 

[Riversiders]

We have always been impressed with virgin and the fact they fly to mco is a big bonus also they do some great early deals on bookings. having the early check in at downtown disney available on ur last day is a great idea then you have more time for yourselves.

 

[patricia27]

Seats

Just a quick word to fellow Virgin passengers. We have our flights and seats booked for May 2012, when I checked on the seat map on the website to see if the flight was filling up, they had moved our seats both ways, blocked off the ones we had booked and on the return flight we weren't even sitting together! I have changed it now so we are together at least but we are not very impressed as we wanted to sit at the back, we are in the middle now.

It may be worth having a quick look at your bookings folks!

Not good--I had that happen once and made a fuss!!
Do you do Downtown Checkin? We go as early as possible and change our seats if we don`t like them!! They often give priority to families and forget that couples want consideration as well!!

 

[christopherscob]

We booked our trip for next June through Travel City Direct and they were very good value and have some great deals but one of the big advantages is that they are now owned by Virgin Holidays so fly with Virgin Airlines to MCO.

 

[disney magic 06]

Not good--I had that happen once and made a fuss!!
Do you do Downtown Checkin? We go as early as possible and change our seats if we don`t like them!! They often give priority to families and forget that couples want consideration as well!!

No, we've never tried the Downtown Disney check in. Its seems a bit of a palava as luggage isn't allowed on the resort buses so we'd need a cab. We leave our cases at the hotel baggage store, go off to Magic Kingdom for the morning returning to the hotel for lunch, change of clothes etc and get the Magical Express from there. Have you found it good?

We do always pre-book our seats and mostly it has been fine, although one year they disappeared altogether and I had to send a beggging email to customer services. They were very good and sorted it for us.

 

[Alexx]

We don't book as a package holiday, the only thing the book through virgin is the flights.

 

[patricia27]

Check in

No, we've never tried the Downtown Disney check in. Its seems a bit of a palava as luggage isn't allowed on the resort buses so we'd need a cab. We leave our cases at the hotel baggage store, go off to Magic Kingdom for the morning returning to the hotel for lunch, change of clothes etc and get the Magical Express from there. Have you found it good?

We do always pre-book our seats and mostly it has been fine, although one year they disappeared altogether and I had to send a beggging email to customer services. They were very good and sorted it for us.

I guess the Downtown Disney checkin suits us as we have a car hire. we get there really early so we can sort out seats if they have given us "bad" ones. You can sometimes buy door seats. We then go to Epcot and have lunch there. Then back to our resort for a swim; then off to the airport--my husband likes it better as you don`t have to be at the airport so early!!

 

[Tink28]

Have always used the DTD checkin and usually stay by the pool at the hotel until it is time to leave for the airport. I have in the past paid extra to keep our room until 3 or 4pm so we can shower etc before leaving for the airport.
We don't have a car so had to take a taxi to DTD to drop of our luggage but it did mean we didn't have to be at the airport until about an hour before our flight, just time to go to duty free then on to the plane!
Only problem last time was if we used the transport provided by Virgin to get to the airport it would have picked us up very early and we would have been at the airport for hours so we took a taxi to the airport too but that was expensive and I won't do that again, but I hate spending hours at the airport, hope Virgin have changed that for this trip.

 

[SHAUN39]

On all my trips to DisneyWorld,I book my flight through either BA or Virgin and my hotel through the DisneyWorld.co.uk website.I compared the price of doing it this way as too booking it through Virgin Holidays and saved several hundred pounds.The reason being is that a holiday company usually charges per person per room,where as Disney reservations charge per room.
Hope this helps and have a great trip.
Shaun:wave:

 

[patricia27]

Airport

Have always used the DTD checkin and usually stay by the pool at the hotel until it is time to leave for the airport. I have in the past paid extra to keep our room until 3 or 4pm so we can shower etc before leaving for the airport.
We don't have a car so had to take a taxi to DTD to drop of our luggage but it did mean we didn't have to be at the airport until about an hour before our flight, just time to go to duty free then on to the plane!
Only problem last time was if we used the transport provided by Virgin to get to the airport it would have picked us up very early and we would have been at the airport for hours so we took a taxi to the airport too but that was expensive and I won't do that again, but I hate spending hours at the airport, hope Virgin have changed that for this trip.

Yes--why spend ages at the airport, when you can still be in WDW !!
You could use the Magical Express?

 

[Brewer]

If you are looking to book everything from here in the UK then like most people advising you really can't beat Virgin.

For us it depends on the exchange rate on how we book. Our favourite method is to book the flights here and then use one of the American travel agents (we've always used MEI & mousefan travel). Sometimes there is not much difference price wise but unlike over here if a better rate comes out for rooms etc then they rebook for you - unlike over here. And obviously if the exchange rate is right you really do have a great deal.

Also they take all the hassle out of booking meals/annual pass discounts/booking tours etc.

 

[stitch8834]

Am leaving for my 3rd trip to the world in 2 months and have booked with virgin. I booked back in january and got a really good deal, they were running a room discount at the time. Saved me £600 off the room.

I flew once with travel city before they were taken over and hated it. Don't like charter flights and hate arriving at sandford. Will always book at least flights with virgin. It's good to see that so many people agree with me

 

[jane.steve11]

we've booked through Travel City Direct who are now owned by Virgin anyway. So you travel on a Virgin flight and the only perk we didn't get was Downtown Disney check-in included...but you can just turn up and pay for that privilege anyway. The big difference is the price as it was at much cheaper with TCD but with the benefits of flying Virgin into Orlando International.

Other difference we noted was the car hire charges. TCD's price included the car, insurance , fees etc whereas Virgin's insurance package had to be added on at the end bumping up the price more.

 

[Nero the dog]

It is worth checking the price that continental charge. They use the Virgin planes as a partner airline.
We did this 2 years ago and saved £100 per person on our flights from Manchester.
Makes a big difference when paying for 5 people